Words

"What do you mean, he said no...?"

Harry scowled up at Ron's incredulous face. " I mean, he said no." His scowl deepened as he took on Snape's voice, "'Patience is a virtue you should learn to cultivate, Potter.' Patience, my arse," he muttered, as he concentrated on not listening to the distantly roaring rain on the outside of the castle walls.

Ron started snickering, though trying his hardest not to, and failed to keep the amusement out of his voice. "That's rough man. Best of luck to you."

Harry rolled his eyes, sarcasm laced throughout his voice. "Thanks Ron. Knew I could count on you." His glared intensified as Ron started full-out laughing.

"I'm sorry Harry, but it's bloody funny, that's all!"

"No. It's not."

Grin. "No, you're right. It's not. It's hilarious."

"No. It's not."

"Yeah it is."

"Not."

"Is."

"Not."

"Is."

"I'll bloody piss on you, if you don't shut up. That'll solve all my problems."

" ---- .."

Satisfied grin. "Thank you."

He spoke too soon, for Ron muttered, "Piss on your mum," sending both boys into hysterics for absolutely no reason at all. Harry wiped his eyes that were tearing from mirth, silently asking his mum to forgive him.

A cough in the general direction of 'up', made both heads snap up to see Snape's mocking face. "If you two would mind sparing the class your," he paused briefly, allowing his smirk to grow deeper, "private matters discussed at length... I highly doubt the class wants to know what you do in your spare time." And in the usual Snape-manner, he had turned and gone before either Harry or Ron had time to process and retort to what had been said.

Ron blinked, a scowl slowly forming on his face. "Why does he always do that?"

Harry frowned, oblivious to Ron's comment. "I'm sorry he keeps dragging you into this."

The redhead shook his head, amusement gone completely as the topic shifted away from anything bathroom related. "It's not a big deal Harry. Anything I can do to take the heat off of your back is okay by me, you know that." An amused grin slowly formed. "And besides, everyone knows me as 'The Head Girl's Boyfriend', so I highly doubt that Snape's crap will pull any weight with anyone."

Harry smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I suppose you're right."

Cocky grin. "Of course I am." Before Harry had a chance to respond, the bell signaling the end of class rang. Ron chose that moment to blink, effectively missing the blur-that-was-Harry run out of the classroom. A chuckle was heard coming from Ron as he smiled at the approaching Hermione.

"Where'd Harry run off to?" she asked as she linked her arm through his.

"The lavatory."

"Gotcha."

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Harry swore he would find and curse the person who had designed the dungeons in this lavatory-lacking manner. It must have been ten minutes since the bell had rung and still there was no bathroom to speak of. "Bloody dungeons. Can't bloody find a bloody lavatory in the whole god damned bloody place."

For the second time that day, he spoke too soon, for right as he turned the corner there was a door labeled 'W.C.' Harry sighed in relief and pushed on the door. It wouldn't budge. Rolling his eyes and complaining about people who felt the need to lock the loo, he muttered 'Alohomora' and shoved his way in.

Harry sighed and smiled in relief, studying the ceiling. He was about ready to relieve himself in a dark corner or something. Finishing up, he turned around to find the wall opposite him covered in writing. Intrigued, he looked closer to find that they were poems. The handwriting of the first he saw, written in dark red ink, was shaky and looked slightly familiar. Quickly his eyes read over the unsteady writing.

Taken, gone...
No longer there for me to have.
From one blink
Of an eye to the next,
The Chosen One is
Mine,
Then stolen just as swiftly from my side.
A hurt remains
So deep.
Inside.
For never before have I lost what
Was never called
Mine.

Harry frowned and repeated it to himself once more before moving on to the next.

The words I want to say
Refuse to come.
Firm refusal from within
To correct the wrong that
I have done.
Your shoulder has turned
And will not turn back.
Out of reach,
These words. They are
Out of my lips
Unspoken
And into your ears
Unheard.
And still they do not come.

Slowly, Harry's eyes widened as he finally placed the handwriting, though this time it was much more steady and written in a deep blue. How many times had he been sent notes during breakfast from this person, filled with cutting remarks on his newly (though unwillingly) announced sexual preference?

Once more a frown spread across his face, deep in thought. He sighed before taking out his green-inked pen.

----------------------------

Harry opened the door only to come face to face with Draco Malfoy. There was barely time to register the blonde's eyes widened to an extremely large degree before they were narrowed into a glare. "What the hell were you doing in there, Potter?"

Smirk. "Taking a piss, Malfoy. What else? We're not in America." Harry winked at him, making use of a prime provoking opportunity. However, Draco did not recoil in disgust as he expected him to, like he usually did at the suggestion that Harry might be flirting with him.

Harry had made it around the corner before he heard a door slam behind him and a pair of feet pounding against the flagstone floor of the hallway in his direction. Then it was silent again. Slowly, he turned to face the other direction once more.

And there was Draco, once more, though this time different. There was no sneer on his face, there were no biting comments coming from his mouth.

There was no façade. And the first words out of this façade-less Draco were a rushed, "I'm sorry." He closed his eyes, took a breath and began again, slower. "I'm sorry. I've been an arse and I'm sorry."

Harry stood there for a moment, just studying him. Was this for real? Was he to believe that just because of a few written words his less-than-favorite person was now standing here before him, apologizing. And apologizing for being an arsehole, no less. But then, Harry's whole perception of Malfoy had cracked after seeing just a few written words. Slowly, tentatively, Harry nodded.

And then he smiled.

---------------------------

As this new understanding was made and previous walls were shattered, it was just down the hallway, around the corner, and through the second door on the left that the reason could be found. And on this wall, the newly written words in green ink read:

The silence is too loud,
Teeth clench,
Jaws set,
Blood boils.
The drawbridge is raised,
Ramparts are manned,
And war drums beat.
One last try,
A message is sent,
"I'm sorry".
The heart melts,
Knee weakens,
A smile breaks.